Thai X-ing

Now that Thai is considered the hottest cuisine among foodies, according to Bon Appetit, we decided to eat at the DC Thai restaurant that gets consistently rave reviews on Yelp. It is another example of how you can run a restaurant any number of ways -- their way is decidedly quirky.

First, it is BYOB, a rarity in DC. Second, it is prix fixe with a different formula each night -- all veggie, veggie with fish option, meat-fish-veggie nights, etc. Prices are higher on the weekend and higher again for parties of 5 or more. Third, it is housed in a small row house on Florida and dining rooms are on two separate floors with service managed by walkie-talkie (have no idea where the kitchen is, maybe basement). Fourth, there are no written menus.

The food is great -- very fresh and authentic and super-plentiful. For the amount and quality of food served, it is a bargain at $40 per person (Friday nights). One thing we learned is that you should not eat every dish that is served but have at least one packed up to take home.

Our three appetizers included a soup with a cucumber stuffed with sausage meat. The broth was tangy with scallions and cilantro (as were most dishes) and probably some chiles, too. A second starter was a type of slaw that we understood to be papaya, but it was crunchy and not sweet so maybe it was something else. The third was a cold marinated beef with greens. The main courses included chicken with green beans and pork spareribs with a vegetable. The piece de resistance, however, was the salmon with pumpkin curry, an incredibly tasty dish where the spicy curry, the tender braised salmon and the soft pumpkin all harmonized to make a perfectly delectable dish. All the sauces in fact were great.

I'm sure we will go back at some point because the food is so good, and it will be interesting to see how much the menu varies with the seasons. However, we will not rush back because some of the sturm and drang that accompanies the service does distract from the experience. The walkie-talkies -- even the busboy has one -- blare more or less incessantly and are unpleasant. The service itself was very amateurish -- the food runners and busboys acted as if it was the first time they had done this (maybe it was vacation replacements?). We got all our food in a timely fashion, but it seemed touch and go the whole time. Also, the service on two floors via a stairwell that gives on to the street was a bit intrusive. You bring your own wine or beer, but if you want a wine glass, you have to bring that, too -- otherwise you just get a second water glass. Finally, there's no reason really not to have a written menu, even if it is a prix fixe at the chef's discretion with no substitutions. It would be nice to know what you're eating.